Flower Tats
by gwebn
Summary: A ScotDen request where Ariel works in a tattoo shop and Finley works in a flower shop! If you have a fanfic request, please send me a message at teakroses(.)tumblr(.)com. I'm happy to write them!


Ariel turned a business card in her hand. The front said " _Shannon's Flowers For Any Occasion._ " in a curvy, raised script. The back, like many business card, had a phone number and an address printed on it.

She didn't really need the address or the phone number. She could see _Shannon's Flowers For Any Occasion_ from the counter of her tattoo shop. The phone number was etched into the glass window.

Had she been at the counter forty minutes ago, she would have seen a short, stocky man with constellations of freckles on his face open the shops door and cross the street. She didn't look up when she heard the welcome bells ding. She was doing fine line work on a client's tattoo and didn't want to risk ruining the tiny fox's face. Ariel asked the person to wait a moment for her to finish but there was no one in the waiting area. Just a clear vase filled with the freshest yellow daisies placed on the counter. She found Shannon's business card stuck into the flowers on a clear plastic stick and a small note on the counter that only said "from Finley."

"Hey, Sylvi?" Ariel called to her business partner, furrowing her brows in concentration at the note. She can't remember ever working with anyone named Finley so maybe the flowers are her's. "Ya know a Finley?"

"Not personally." Sylvi replied, wrapping a hair tie around the end of her newly re-braided hair. It was something she did when she was bored near the end of the day. She'll probably take it out and redo it if she doesn't find something to do in the next twenty minutes. "I'm pretty sure those are yours."

"Why?" Ariel asked, cocking her head. "I dunno a Finley either."

"You've seen your right arm, right?" Sylvi said, looking at her with a tired expression, as if she couldn't believe she had to spell this out. "Do ya not remember me putting those there?"

"Oh!" Ariel's eyes went wide. The yellow daisies in the vase DID look like the bright flowers tattooed from her the top of shoulder to her bicep. "That's so nice!.. but a little weird."

"He's got a good eye I guess… but yah a little weird." Sylvi shrugged. "Go to the flower shop and ask?"

"Good plan!" She nodded enthusiastically. "They're so pretty, I guess I should thank the guy if he's not a total creepy stalker."

"Mm hm." Sylvi agreed. "Say hi to Rose for me."

Ariel laughed. "Flirt with her yourself, yah useless lesbian."

"Shut it, Dane." Sylvi blushed and turned away, clearly mortified.

Ariel laughed again, knowing from experience that now was the time to leave before she got something thrown at her.

She strode across the street to the flower shop, walking through the door without much hesitation. Why would she? The brick store front reminded her of a fireplace. The rough extra of the bricks looking even more inviting when standing behind open wooden boxes full of fresh cut roses, carnations, lilies, and other vivid flowers who's name's weren't coming to mind. The green smell of the flowers tickled her nose, but not to the point of making her sneeze. If she had someone to buy flowers for, she decided, she would love to buy them here. Do they deliver? Maybe she should send some to her sister… Some pretty forget-me-nots might make her smile.

"Ah- er- Hello." Sputtered a man holding an incredible amount of cut roses. Ariel had no idea where he was going with them. "Need anything?"

"Uh huh." She nodded. "I'm Ariel from Siren Ink across the street. Someone sent flowers? I found your business card and a note… Ya know a guy named Finley?"

"I… might know the lad." The man said, swallowing but otherwise keeping a straight face. He took his arm full of roses to the glass coolers and started filling one of the empty spots with bundles of flowers. "What do you need to tell him?"

"I wanted to thank him for the flowers! They were so pretty!" She replied. "Unless he's a creepy weird guy… then I don't want to thank him. He's not creepy weird guy, right?"

"He's not, I swear on my mam." He said, then blinked. "Wait, what would make him a creepy weird guy?"

"I dunno- A guy I don't know is sending me flowers that match my arm?" She sweated, pointing at her tattoos. "That's kind of creepy weird!"

"Oi-!" The redheaded man blushed, closing the cooler door. "Maybe he appreciated seeing beautifully done Marguerite daisies on a beautiful woman or maybe he just wanted to do something nice for his neighbor and maybe he'll ask her out for a drink one day if he stops being an idiot."

"Oh." She stopped, smirking. "So ya do know him then?"

"Yes. Yes, I do." He sighed… then turned to face her. "I'm Finley _and I'm not creepy weird, I swear._ "

"Then why are ya being creepy and weird?" She teased. "Ya could have just asked me out, ya know."

"I-…Someone told me the flower thing would be romantic, okay?" He shook his head, mostly at himself. "Can I still ask you out?"

"I guess." She shrugged with a smile. "I'm not gonna stop ya."

"Are you going to say yes?"

"Ya won't know until ya try!"

"Okay, fine." Finley huffed. "Will you go get a drink with me some time? I'll buy."

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Ariel beamed, stealing a pen from the counter to write her phone number on the business card. When she finished, she held it out to him. When he tried to take it, she pulled it away. "Ya promise you're not a creepy weird guy?"

" _Yes._ " He said in exasperation. "I'm not creepy, I just need to stop taking advice from Frenchmen."

"Alright," She replied, pressing the card in his hand. "Here ya go! Ya know where to find me when you feel like being drunk under the table."

Finley waited red faced for her to sashay out of the shop before he screamed into his hands. _How the hell did that work?_


End file.
